Elqui Valley from Coquimbo - who has been there?

[YoPhilly]

We're doing an Eastbound cruise with a stop in Coquimbo and I'm researching things to do/see.  Elqui Valley seems to be a popular excursion, and I'd love to get feedback from folks who've gone.  Is it the scenery?  We'll be calling at several ports along the Pacific coast so I'm wondering if Elqui Valley is spectacular and not-to-be-missed or whatever is the alternative.  We really don't care about a pisco distillery or winery, and all the Elqui tours seem to include them .  I appreciate your thoughts.  Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Edited August 6, 2019 by YoPhilly
addition

[capriccio]

We (me, DH, my sister and brother-in-law) stopped in Coquimbo on our December 2016 LA to Valparaiso cruise.  We found very few private tours of interest so it was the only port where we did Princess tours.  The Elqui Valley and the town of Vicuma are very scenic.  DH and I did the tour of the pisco distillery (I have a 50 year fondness for pisco having first experienced it as an a high school exchange student in Chile in 1969).  My DS and DBIL did the tour of the Tololo Observatory and still talk about how interesting that was.  Both tours included lunch in a local restaurant.  It was an excellent lunch that included wonderful Chilean empanadas and steak.  I don't usually remember tour lunches but we all thought this was a great one.  En route to the Valley and then en route to the ship we visited some local sights in Coquimbo too.

[YoPhilly]

Thanks for your feedback.

[vickie_bernie]

Have done a tour to the elqui valley twice, beautiful area.  One was more wine focuses, the other was more about the petroglyphs.

 

La serena is lovely too.

 

I have written about in my blog, link below, go to bottom and click on port and all blogs that talk about that port will show up.